Nameless Child
by Kolfire
Summary: The legendary Pokemon of the world have begun to stir as Ash Ketchum competes in the battle of his life. New and old friendships alike will be tested as both the history and future of the world of Pokemon changes forever!


Hello! I'm Kolfire and I want to thank you for (hopefully) deciding to read my Pokemon story. Before chapter 1 begins, there are a few things I'd like to say. First of all, I want to throw some credit to Texaslonghorn and his "A New Journey" Pokemon fanfic. I've been reading it for about three years now and it partially inspired my own story. You should go read his if you haven't already, it's fantastic.

I also want to tell you about what you're getting yourself into. This is going to be a _long_ story, probably as long as a full-length novel by the time it's finished. In fact, that's most of the reason that I'm doing this; I need writing practice before I begin my own stuff, so any (constructive) criticism in my inbox is very much welcome (please leave the comments section for the actual story). I'll have a chapter out about every three days or so, and there will never be more than a week between each chapter...but I doubt that they'll all be as long as this one is (18ish pages).

As for its content, it could probably be described as Action/Adventure, but many more themes will be present as well (romance, mystery, maybe even some horror, etc). I've taken a lot of creative liberty with the lore and mythology of the Pokeverse...sort of a more grown-up, realistic take on it, really. The story will be greatly intertwined with the lore from the first couple movies, and plenty will be taken from both the anime and the games. It will also mostly take place in areas from generations 1 through 4, so no Unova or any areas from the newly announced Gen VI, but there might be cameos.

Thanks, and enjoy the story!

* * *

"Let the battle begin!"

Just moments before, Ash could barely contain himself. Now, though, he felt only that certain kind of cool calm that only comes from a decade of battling. Not even the battle for championship could get to him.

"I choose you, Flygon!" he yelled a bit too loudly, not realizing how much the speakers would amplify his voice. He didn't hear the annoyed murmuring of the crowd, though, as the reigning champion tossed his own Poké Ball out onto the field, not bothering to announce his Pokemon as Ash had.

"...and the champ's first Pokemon is...Salamence! The ex-plo-sive championship FINALE begins with dragon vs dragon, folks!" roared the announcer.

Ash had done his research before the battle, and had a good idea of which Pokemon Lance would be using. Luckily for him, one of the strategies that he had created to use against Salamence included the Pokemon that he had just released.

"Dragon Dance, Fly!" Ash commanded. Flygon was ready; they had put a lot of time and effort into training for this scenario. She let out a high-pitched scream as her vibrating wings produced a loud hum. Draconic energy swirled around her body. The champion had allowed Ash to take the first move, but he wasted no time in reacting upon seeing Flygon's ability; he would know better than almost anyone what an enraged dragon was capable of.

"Dragon Rush!" commanded Lance, his Pokemon obeying immediately. Salamence crouched low and bowed its wings forward, rocketing off within an immense burst of speed. Salamence barreled straight for Flygon, and despite her opponent being one of the world's most powerful dragon Pokemon, Flygon was ready. She dodged the attack almost effortlessly using the speed boost from Dragon Dance. Ash gave a small fist-pump at his podium. Any attack that they managed to land or dodge was a small victory against the champion of Johto-Kanto.

"Fly, use-" he began, before Lance cut him off.

"Hyper Beam!"

Salamence fired the beam even before the momentum of the previous attack had escaped him, shooting the the liquid plasma first directly at terrified onlookers before spinning vertically and aiming at Flygon, leaving a singed trail of destruction down the side of the stadium, along the ground, and up the other side before the beam met its target in the sky. Though the attack was rendered harmless as it met the invisible shields that extended along the upper perimeter of the stadium, many of the fans screamed out in fright.

"Oooo, Flygon takes the hit head-on! That _has_ to sting!" said the announcer.

Ash's stomach clenched into a knot as he watched Flygon spiral down toward the ground, stunned from the attack. It wasn't because he was suddenly losing the battle that he had spent his entire life training for, but rather because Flygon was one of his best friends, and he couldn't stand to see any of his Pokemon in pain. It was something he knew that he could never get used to, but his resolve never wavered as his mind raced through various strategies.

"Flygon, Dragon Dance!"

"What's this? A second preparatory move from the challenger? Mr. Ketchum understands that he has to actually _attack _hisopponent, right?" quipped the announcer, earning only a few muffled laughs from the stands.

Flygon had winged herself to the tip of a small boulder to recover from the massive blow, but still acted immediately to her trainer's command and began performing another Dragon Dance. Again her wings hummed loudly as she vibrated them back and forth to help in the ritual. Thanks to its tremendous power and fortitude, Salamence took far less recharge-time from Hyper Beam than most other Pokemon would have, and was already on route straight for Flygon, anticipating its master's commands.

"Another Dragon Rush, Salamence," came Lance's command. There was no hint of boredom in his voice, but no alarm either. Ash looked on as the same scenario as before repeated itself. This time, however, Salamence was a few feet closer when Flygon's dance came to an end, and it crashed directly into her. The audience collectively gasped as Flygon went flying along the floor of the stadium and then came to a sudden stop when scale met wall. Ash's knuckles went white as he clenched the railing in front of him, leaning out as far as he could without falling over the side.

"Oh my, the challenger's bug dragon takes a brutal beat-down at the hand's of the champ's unstoppable Salamence! Twice as strong and twice as fast thanks to those dances, yet still unable to dodge one of Salamence's most inaccurate moves! _Can_ it muster up the will to continue on?" asked the announcer.

_He gets more annoying every time he talks, _thought Ash bitterly.

"He just got lucky! Come on, Fly!" Ash cried out. He had to do something, and _soon,_ or Flygon would be out for good, without having put a scratch on Salamence. Flygon laid in a crumpled heap at the bottom of one of the octagonal arena's long walls. Her only movement was an occasional twitch of the tail, but life seemed to be breathed back into her as her trainer spoke.

"Aerial Ace." came Lance's command, startling everyone with its immediacy. Salamence obeyed without hesitation, launching himself for the third time at his opponent, this time with tendrils of wind beginning to glow around his body.

For a moment Ash panicked, but gave his command to Flygon just in time.

"Dig!"

Flygon dug. Salamence pulled away just in time to avoid slamming into the ground as Flygon disappeared into the soil like a Magikarp diving into water. Salamence looked back at its trainer, as if asking what to do next.

"It has to come up eventually. Have a hyper beam waiting for it, Salamence," said Lance. Ash knew that he was right...Flygon could hold its breath for hours, but they couldn't win by waiting around forever underground. But it did give him a moment to think and Flygon a moment to rest. Their original strategy was to use Dragon Dance until Flygon was able to completely outmatch Salamence or Lance's other Dragon Pokemon if it came down to it.

_It could still work_, thought Ash, _but Fly's already running on empty...if she takes another hit, it's over..._and then an idea came to him.

"Fly...if you can hear me, use Dragon Dance" he said as loudly as he could without yelling, then he waited. A moment later came the familiar buzzing noise of her wings, only barely perceptible through several feet of thick earth. Ash grinned, it worked.

"Do it again, Fly!" he said, and then repeated himself another three times, knowing that six uses was just about her max...any more than that was wasted. Not that it mattered of course, he knew that this battle was over, one way or the other.

"Fly, get ready...you're gonna charge out of the ground as fast as you can and take it out, okay? Whenever you're ready!" commanded Ash.

"Salamence, watch carefully...the moment you see a pebble move, blast it away with Hyper Beam. One more should d-" said Lance, but he was cut short as some of the loose rocks in the middle of the arena began to rattle. A split-second later, Flygon burst forth from the rocky soil. Salamence's mouth began to glow with the attack, and his aim was true, but Flygon was too fast. She dashed to a point in the air to dodge the Hyper Beam, then to a second point, a third, a fourth, and then her tail met the beast's head and a moment later Salamence's body met the stadium wall. Lance withdrew his Pokemon before it hit the ground.

"Salamence is unable to battle. The round goes to Flygon!" declared the referee. The light behind Salamence's portrait on the scoring screen went dim.

"Amazing! Apparently those dance lessons paid off for Ash and his Pokemon, because Flygon is the victor of round one, folks!" rang the announcer out across the stadium, barely audible above the roar of the crowd.

"Well done, Ash. I see that I won't be able to take you lightly," Lance called to Ash once the roar had died down.

It took everything in him to keep from literally jumping for joy. All of the training they'd done, all of the long days rehearsing strategy in his mind and on the field...it was finally paying off! Flygon made her way over to his podium and balanced on the balcony railing, huffing heavily from the exhaustion of battle. Ash threw his arms around her long, serpentine neck as he reached up and tapped the button on his headset to turn the microphone off.

"I'm so proud of you, Fly! You did great out there! That's what all our training was for, girl!" Though still charged up from her repeated Dragon Dances, she was visibly weary. And just when Ash began to think that she'd be too tired to embarrass him, she got her second wind and suddenly let out a loud squeal and tackled him to the floor, nuzzling him with her long head and neck.

"...alas it seems that the once future-champ has been defeated by his own Pokemon...maybe next year, Mr. Ketchum!" said the announcer mockingly. Ash eventually managed to push Flygon up and off of himself as the crowd laughed. His face was red from embarrassment, but still etched with a grin from the joy of victory.

"Okay, Fly. Listen...Fly, listen to me!" he said as seriously as he could while she attempted to give him a new hair-do with her tongue. It took a moment, but he finally gained her attention.

"Can you keep battling, girl? I know that this strategy was only supposed to work for a little while, but you're still charged up and ready to go, right?"

Flygon nodded fiercely. Not only was she one of his smartest and most loyal Pokemon, but she was a fighter as well. Ash saw the determination in her eyes and smiled.

"Okay! Let's go, then!" he said, pointing back out onto the field. The referee called the match back into session as Lance, who had been watching with an amused expression from his podium, took the initiative this time and threw out his Poké Ball .

"...and the champ's next Pokemon iiiiiis...it's Dragonite, folks!" the announcer said, "Looks like he's not holding back after what just happened! Can the challenger possibly hope to match up to the reigning champ's most powerful Pokemon?"

Ash didn't even hear the announcer. Dragonite. This was exactly what he'd been hoping against.

_But...maybe this might work in our favor...with Flygon being so charged with Dragon Dance, she might even be able to end it in one hit if she lands any dragon-type move, _he thought to himself as Dragonite waved goofily at the crowd.

"Flygon, use Dragon Tail!"

"Extreme Speed."

Ash's command didn't have time to register before Dragonite disappeared from view. It reappeared in a heartbeat, mere inches from Flygon's body, massive tail swinging up toward its target. It hit. Only a quick recall from Ash saved her from being smashed against one of the upper-level, invisible shield-walls.

The referee began to chat with two of his associates. Ash knew that they were deciding whether to assign a foul to Ash or not since he withdrew his Pokemon before the effects of the previous attack had completed, but he knew that his Pokemon was out of the fight and released her again to show it.

"See? She's knocked out," said Ash. "I just wanted to make it easier on her."

"In that case," the referee responded, "Flygon appears unable to battle. Dragonite is the winner!" said the referee. The light behind Flygon's portrait on the overhead screen darkened just as Salamence's had a moment before.

"...and as quickly as it began, round two is over, ladies and gentlemen! Done! Dragonite is the winner!" said the announcer.

Ash sighed as he looked down at Flygon's Poké Ball.

"You did great, Fly. Thanks for so much effort, I'm really proud of you!" Ash whispered. He considered which Pokemon to use next; he still had a secret weapon. Two in fact, counting the one tugging on his pants leg, but he didn't want to use either of them until he absolutely had to. Pondering the situation for another moment, he hovered his hand over one Poké Ball on his hip before switching to the one beside it.

"Pika pi?" asked Pikachu.

"Not yet, pal," Ash said, still focusing on his next move.

"Pika~" said Pikachu with a sigh, hopping over to lay on top of Ash's jacket in the corner.

"Come on out, A-" Ash shouted as he tossed the Poké Ball as far as he could.

"AMAZING, IT'S AN ARCEUS! Wait, nope, just an Aggron. False alarm, folks!" said the announcer, earning almost no laughs this time.

Ash's eyes gazed up at the jumbo screen. The camera switched from his own face to the Pokemon he had just put into battle. Aggron was far from the weakest Pokemon that he owned, but Lairon had only recently evolved and Ash was still unsure about its strengths and weaknesses.

_I guess...I'll just let Aggron do its best and hopefully he'll be able to put a dent in that monster so I can take it down with someone else,_ thought Ash as he turned his eyes to his opponent. Lance stood directly across from him, arms crossed and cape billowing in the wind, not appearing to have moved an inch since the match began.

_He looks like a dragon_, thought Ash. Just before the referee called the match into session, Lance surprised everyone by pulling out his Poké Ball and called Dragonite back.

Lance grabbed another Poké Ball and casually tossed it onto the field, again not calling its name.

Lance's infamous, crimson-red Gyarados needed no introduction from its trainer or the announcer as it burst forth from its ball with a stadium-rattling roar. It took an unprompted tour around the upper tier of the stadium to let everyone see just how mighty and ferocious it was before hovering a few dozen feet above its opponent, dwarfing Aggron in comparison.

"Rain Dance, Gyarados!" Lance commanded immediately, showing the first signs of real enthusiasm since the match began. Gyarados obeyed and with a roar the sky turned dark for miles around, clouding out the sun. Within seconds, the heavens opened up and rain began to pour down into the arena. The same special invisible shield that kept the audience from receiving Hyper Beams to their faces also extended above their heads at an angle, keeping them dry as well. Lance might have taken the momentum in the battle, but Ash was determined to match him and then some.

"Aggron, use Thunderbolt!" Ash cried. This was a move that he'd actually taught to Aggron specifically to use against Gyarados in case the two met. Aggron complied and a small electrical current visibly jumped between his two horns, then lightning launched skyward at his opponent. Miss. Gyarados might have been one big moving target in the sky, but Aggron was not an electric Pokemon, nor had he practiced this ability very much before the match. Ash wished that he had used Pikachu instead, but contenders could only switch Pokemon between rounds in the championship battle. He did the only thing he knew to do and commanded Aggron to continue firing Thunderbolts at Gyarados.

Miss.  
Miss.  
Miss.

_If I can just...hit him...with one...single...Thunderbolt..._but it was no use. Gyarados was too agile for Aggron's weak, inaccurate attacks and simply kept weaving through the sky. On the plus side, it did keep Gyarados from having any openings to attack, but not only were the repeated, failed attempts to shock the great serpent out of the sky tiring Aggron out quickly, but the arena was also rapidly filling with the water summoned from Gyarados' Rain Dance. Luckily, the ground wasn't entirely even, so Aggron still had some time before he'd be forced to withdraw or drown.

_It's no use, _thought Ash as Aggron missed with yet another attack. Before he could give Aggron his next command, Lance made his move.

"Hydro Pump, Gyarados!" Lance ordered.

"Use Protect, Aggron, and start running toward me!" Ash responded. Aggron turned toward Ash and began lumbering in his direction. He was incredibly bulky, meaning it would take a considerable amount of time before he made it anywhere, but the driest part of the arena was near Ash's podium, and he couldn't let Aggron get caught out in the middle with the water rising so rapidly. He slowly lumbered toward his trainer with his head turned to look over his shoulder, pausing briefly to use Protect to avoid Gyarados' repeated Hydro Pump volleys. Aggron was being worn down quickly; Ash knew that they couldn't keep it up much longer. Thinking on his feet, Ash gave Aggron his next command.

"Aggron, use Earthquake and raise the ground up beneath your feet! Make a mountain to stand on!" he finished just as his Pokemon warded off another Hydro Pump. Aggron seemed confused at first, but the instructions seemed to sink in as he raised a massive fist in the air before bringing it crashing down at his feet with a loud, reverberating *thud*. A tremendous shockwave spread out , reaching the edge of the water and sending ripples out before pulling back inward toward Aggron's location, as the earth and stone piled up beneath him to create a makeshift hill. The water spread out around the gap created, leaving Aggron stranded on an artificial island surrounded on all sides by a shallow sea, but he was safe for the time being.

"Impressive tactic from Mr. Ketchum, but what will be his next course of action? Poor Aggron has nowhere to go!" the announcer chimed in. Ash knew exactly what he was about to do, though. They might not strike Gyarados quite as hard as a Thunderbolt, but rock-type moves would still hit it with plenty of oomph.

"Stone Edge, Aggron!" commanded Ash.

"Hydro Cannon, Gyarados!" commanded Lance in return.

"Not only is it the wrong color, but this Gyarados knows moves it shouldn't be able to learn! Where _does _he get these monsters, folks?" asked the announcer.

The champion ignored the announcer's comment, instead focusing entirely on the battle before him. His demeanor had changed noticeably from what it was at the beginning of the match. Ash held his breath in anticipation as Aggron levitated some of the nearby rocks around his body. They began to shine with a bright light just as Gyarados launched its assault; the two attacks met in the air, with the charged stones diverting all but a small stream of the water attack, though most of them were cast away as a result. A couple of the remaining rocks slammed into their target, causing Gyarados to roar with pain. Aggron did take some damage, but nearly all of the water had been diverted, and he stood firm on his makeshift island.

"Surf!" Lance commanded. Gyarados instantaneously dived down into the muddy waters, disappearing from sight. Aggron readied himself. The waters near the edge of the arena began to rise and cascade toward Aggron, growing in height as they went. Gyarados' head emerged with another roar at the apex of the wave.

"Another Stone Edge, Aggron!" commanded Ash. Aggron repeated the attack, raising the rocks up around himself, aiming, and then releasing them head-on into the oncoming tsunami, but Gyarados managed to avoid the attack by strafing to the side. Knowing that there wouldn't be enough time to try the attack again, Ash went with plan B.

"Rock Smash his face when he gets close, buddy!" Ash cried out to his Pokemon.

Gyarados and the massive wave he'd created crashed directly into Aggron, completely submerging his island, but not before the latter stomped a massive clump of stone into the air and headbutted it right where his trainer had commanded him to, sending Gyarados flying backward as the wave's momentum carried Aggron in the opposite direction. There was complete silence in the stadium as every soul waited to see what the outcome would be. Aggron had been knocked into the water just behind his island, and Gyarados too had disappeared into the murky depths. But a second later, Aggron's head appeared above the water as he slowly marched his way back up onto the island., coughing up water and blood. Gyarados' unconscious body floated several dozen feet away.

"Winner: Aggron!" declared the ref. The crowd again burst into cheers.

"Come on back, buddy, you've done enough!" Ash judged, determined not to make the same mistake that he had in the previous round.

_He can probably fight a little bit longer, but I'll save him just in case, _thought Ash. He was very impressed with his Aggron; it was a gamble to send out such an inexperienced Pokemon, but it had paid off. Ash glanced over again at Lance. The champion still maintained his cool exterior, but Ash could see something else in his eyes, even from that distance.

"The score now stands at 2 to 1 in the challenger's favor, but with Aggron the island-builder on its last limbs and the champ still holding that beast of his back, things don't look so hot for Mr. Ketchum!" chimed the announcer, unhelpfully.

Ash sighed. He still had faith in his Pokemon, but the announcer did have a point...there were urban legends about Lance's Dragonite. People said it was really just a legendary Pokemon that had shape-shifted into the form of a common Pokemon. And it _had_ just out-sped a Pokemon fully charged with six Dragon Dances...but that didn't matter, Ash assured himself, because he was going to win no matter what. _Should I go ahead and use him...? _Ash thought as Pikachu stared pleadingly into his eyes.

_Naaah, I'll just wait and see which Pokemon Lance sends out, _Ash thought, though he didn't have long to wait.

"Kingdra, go!" shouted Lance through his microphone. So he was introducing his Pokemon now, huh?

"Pika pi! Pikachu pika chu...!" Pikachu nagged, visibly upset with his trainer for not sending him in yet. Ash reached up and turned his microphone off.

"Just hold on a little while longer, buddy. You're my secret weapon...well, not-so-secret after what you did to the Pokemon in the qualifying rounds, hehe. You'll get to fight soon, don't worry," Ash said reassuringly. Pikachu rolled his eyes and said his own name exasperatedly. Ash didn't have to think about his next Pokemon, he knew the perfect choice.

"Go, Espeon!" he shouted, releasing his Pokemon there on the stand with him.

"Mr. Ketchum, you still have your one-time field reset option available as challenger if you'd like to use it now," reminded the referee. Ash thought for a moment, but decided against it.

"Thanks, but it doesn't matter what kind of field Espeon is on. I'll save it!" he responded. The referee nodded, then waved his flag to signal the beginning of the match.

"Hop down, Esp," Ash commanded. She jumped down onto Aggron's make-shift island and stretched, yawning loudly, encouraging a mass "awwwww" from the crowd as they watched on the mega-screen.

"Aqua Jet, Kingdra!"

"Psychic, Espeon!"

The torrent of water rushed at Espeon with blinding speed, but both she and her trainer's orders had been fast enough; the jet of water that had rushed on top of the surface diverted when it reached her, spewing to either side.

"Twister, Kingdra!"

"Divert it like the last attack, Esp!" Ash ordered, but Kingdra had moved closer since the last attack, and Espeon had less time to prepare. She attempted to break down the attack like she had the last time, but it was too late. She made an attempt to run out of its way, but was sucked up into the spout.

"Espeon!" Ash cried in alarm. The attack swirled the little psychic Pokemon around for a few seconds before sending her flying out into the water. She briefly sank down, but quickly rose up to the surface, choking and sputtering on water that she had inhaled.

"Espeon, use-" Ash began, but Lance cut him off again.

"Use Aqua Jet again, Kingdra!"

This time instead of Kingdra releasing a jet of water, it used the Jet to propel itself at the target, intending to strike it all the harder. Ash began to interject with a command of his own (that he knew wouldn't reach his Pokemon in time), but before he had the chance, Kingdra slowed down. A moment later, Kingdra was floating upside-down in the water near Espeon, bubbles rising casually to the surface around it.

"What...?!" Lance said, clearly confused.

"Is Kingdra...asleep? Why, I believe it is, folks! The champ's Pokemon has decided to take a nap mid-attack!" the announcer said.

"Ah," Lance said with hints of both admiration and annoyance , "your Espeon used Yawn at the beginning of the match, and only now is it taking effect. Very clever, Ash."

"Err...yeah, thanks. All part of the plan!"

Ash had no idea what was going on. Still, he planned to take full advantage of the blessing that Espeon had provided him...wait, did Espeon even _know_ Yawn? But no, there was no time for that.

"Esp, use Psychic on yourself and get up on the water, then launch Kingdra across the arena!" Ash commanded. Espeon climbed onto the surface of the water, using her psychic abilities to make it as stable as solid ground. But instead of following the rest of her trainer's commands, a dark violet beam of light shot from the crystal on her forehead and surrounded the still very asleep Kingdra. Globules of energy were being pulled from the sleeping Kingdra and sent back to Espeon, who gobbled them all down...she was using Dream Eater!

_Alright I KNOW she doesn't know that move, what's going on?_ Ash thought to himself. However, this wasn't the first time that Espeon had acted strangely...in fact it seemed to be a habit of hers. And just as had been the case in the past, once he thought about it, Ash realized that what she was doing was a better choice than what he'd commanded her to do; if Kingdra was asleep, why not take the fullest advantage of it?

"One of the challenger's Pokemon overpowers him on stage, another constantly begs to him to change his mind, and now one directly disobeys him? Kind of makes you wonder who's training who, eh?" the announcer chimed in, eliciting more laughter from the audience.

"Alright Esp, come on, he's starting to stir! Launch him into the wall!" Ash said as Kingdra began to twitch in the water. This time Espeon obeyed immediately, focusing her psychic energy on her opponent by lifting it up and tossing it across the stadium as if it was a doll. Kingdra awakened mid-flight and sounded an alarm bugle before slamming against the wall and tumbling back down into the water. Ash realized that he wouldn't be able to make out Kingdra's position in the muddy water because of the clouds still hanging in the canopy overhead. He judged that Espeon would have enough time to complete it without risk, so he commanded her to use Sunny Day. The brightness banished the clouds that Gyarados had summoned, and Ash could see that Kingdra was making its way steadily back to where Espeon was standing.

"Get ready, Esp...use Psybeam!"

"Agility, Kingdra!"

Espeon fired off a beam of concentrated energy at Kingdra, but it was too fast. It darted from point to point, forcing Espeon to stay on the offensive.

"Whirlpool!" commanded Lance. Kingdra used the last of Agility to position itself directly under Espeon. He launched the attack before Espeon could react, spinning the water rapidly and sucking her down into the maelstrom. Ash had a clear view from his podium of his Pokemon being spun helplessly around and around, trying desperately to gain breath and traction, and he knew that the match would be over soon if he didn't do something. Lance made the next move.

"Kingdra, knock it up into the air with Dragon Tail and then finish it with Dragon Rush."

Kingdra followed suit and knocked the already-disoriented Espeon out of the water and into the air. He then launched himself out of the water at Espeon, charging his final blow. Ash was just about to tell Espeon to use Protect, though he knew it was too late, when she, of her own power, righted herself in the air and began to spin on her axis, forehead glowing violet. Her head met Kingdra's with a sickening *crack*, though only he went flying as Espeon remained in mid-air, apparently having used Psychic on herself to add force to the Zen Headbutt that just ended the match. She slowly floated down to the water's surface and then lifted her defeated opponent up toward its trainer.

"Espeon takes the round!" said the ref. "And with that begins the five minute intermission."

**ˆ˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜ˆ**

That Espeon unnerved Lance...there was something strange about it, the way it acted on its own and with a degree of intelligence. He didn't ponder the creature for very long, though, as realization came flooding down upon him. He was now officially losing, and by a decent margin. _That kid has managed to take out half of my team, while only losing one. I should be fine if the rest of his Pokemon are only as strong as the last three, but I know for a fact that his Pikachu is extremely powerful._ He took in a deep breath and closed his eyes as the announcer rambled on about something and the crowd murmured excitedly to themselves.

_If I lose this, everything will be ruined, and I can't very well let that happen. She's already upset enough with me as it is_, thought Lance. The entire battle had been a huge distraction in the weeks preceding it, and it was especially irritating now that the idea that he might actually lose had planted itself firmly in his mind. And yet, he was beginning to have real fun for the first time in years

**ˆ˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜ˆ**

"Arshish dowin rweewy gwod donchushinksho?" asked Brock.

"Brock, chew...now swallow...there, that's better!" said Dawn with a sigh.

"Ishaitdat...*gulp*...I mean I said that Ash is doing really good, don't you think?" repeated Brock as he grabbed another handful of hors d'oeuvres.

"Ooooh I'm so proud of him! My little boy is all grown up...and he's going to be champion, too!" said Delia Ketchum

"Oh, look at that!" said Dawn in her sing-song Sinnoh accent, noticing for the first time one of the large blimps hovering over the stadium. "This blows the Sinnoh competition out of the water!"

"Well dish _ish_ a compertishin for two regionsh inshtead of jusht one like wif Shinnoh. What does dat blimp shay?" Brock spoke through a mouthful of food.

Dawn squinted, "It saaaaaays...'Be sure to leave your comments after the chapter!'...I wonder what they mean by that?"

"Beats me," said Brock as he gazed across the room at the waitress passing out more food, not sure which of the two he was more interested in.

Gary Oak stood next to his grandfather near the window of the private box that Ash's friends and family had been invited to. The two of them had been analyzing in great depth aspects of the battle that the others present hardly noticed at all.

_Lance's Salamence, Gyarados, and Kingdra are all out for the count and Ash has only lost his Flygon, _thought Gary, _but it's obvious that Lance has only been toying with him up to this point. Still, he's doing good...as long as he can manage to take out Dragonite and whatever else Lance has left..._

"Gramps, do you know which Pokemon Lance has left? You've known him for years, right?"

"Oh, yes, certainly. I've known Lance since he was a boy. In fact, I gave him his first Pokemon just like I did with you and Ash when I briefly lived in Blackthorn. A Charmander it was, if I recall. Feisty fellow, but the two got along swimmingly. Why, little Lance visited me not an hour after setting out after a run-in with some wild-"

"Yeah yeah gramps, but about his Pokemon...?" asked Gary.

"I suspect," said Oak, "that Lance is using more than one Dragonite."

**ˆ˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜ˆ**

_Okay, so Flygon is out of the fight and Aggron won't last much longer. Espeon can still fight, but she's tired. I could go ahead and use _him_, but I need to put as much damage on this Dragonite as I can in case Lance has any other surprises. _It troubled Ash to send in a Pokemon that he knew would be taken out in a couple hits, but this was the championship battle and he couldn't afford to go easy on his opponent.

"Go, Dusknoir!" shouted Ash as he tossed his next Pokemon onto the field. Dusknoir floated in the air above the water, but otherwise remained motionless.

"Shadow Ball, Dusk!"

"Fly!"

Dusknoir's attack was swift, but Dragonite was already ascending out of sight by the time Shadow Ball launched; it didn't even come close to landing. Dragonite's form momentarily became that of a dot in the sky before reaching the crest of its attack and beginning the plunge toward its foe. The speed of Lance's Pokemon was intense, but Ash was able to command Dusknoir to use Protect and it surrounded itself with a bright, translucent shield. It wasn't enough. Dragonite crashed straight through Dusknoir's defense and sent the ghost type hurtling down into the muddy water. _Shoot_, thought Ash, _this is bad...!_

"Dragon Rush!" commanded Lance.

"Ice Punch, Dusk!" Ash commanded in return. His hope was that he could at least counter the strength of Lance's attack with something that Dragonite was weak to, but true to its reputation, Dragonite met Dusknoir's frozen fist without even slowing down, and Ash's Pokemon was sent flying for the second time of the match. Ash sighed, Dusknoir was almost to the point of being unable to fight and he hadn't landed a hit yet. This was both what he had thought would happen and what he had hoped against. Oh well, on to plan B.

"Finish it off with a Hyper Beam, Dragonite," said Lance.

"Use Curse," responded Ash. He had his Poké Ball waiting, ready for the moment when the curse mark sigil would appear and then disappear above the head of his Pokemon, being sure to withdraw Dusknoir before Hyper Beam hit. No point in making him suffer any further. Once Dusknoir was withdrawn, Ash released him again to allow the referee to call the match.

"The challenger's Dusknoir is unable to battle. Winner: Dragonite!" said the ref.

**ˆ˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜ˆ**

Lance had absentmindedly taken Dragonite's Poké Ball off of his belt and was weaving it across his knuckles. For the first time since Ash had been declared the winner of the semi-finals round, Lance felt as if defeat was a possibility. He cursed under his breath. _Nite is going to be knocked out, this kid made sure of that with his Curse, _thought Lance_. That Dusknoir is gone, fortunately, so I won't have to worry about any more cheap surprise attacks like what just happened...hopefully, anyway. _

Lance watched from across the field while thinking about what had just happened. It was a very smart move on Ash's part to sacrifice an outmatched Pokemon the way he did, but what impressed the champion most was how the kid had withdrawn the Dusknoir before the referee declared the match over, risking a penalty from the judges to keep his Pokemon from any more pain. _He also has all of the ability and will he needs if he's made it this far...yes, even if he somehow manages to win this, I think we've found a new ally._

But none of that mattered, he had to focus on the current objective: winning the match. Down to a Pokemon and a half, Lance was on edge, but somehow comforted by the thrill of battle. He might still be able to sweep the match using Drago where Nite had failed, but this was without question the most challenging match of his championship career.

**ˆ˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜ˆ**

"I'd like to reset the stadium now if it's alright," said Ash to the referee, since the water would only harm him for the duration of the match. The ref nodded and raised one of his arms. A moment later, the water in the arena began to cleave in two as each half of the stadium floor was pulled under the wall. The water fell down into the repository, with the floor being replaced by a fresh field of dirt and rock that appeared to be more than a dozen feet thick. Ash waited until the units had locked into place and released his next Pokemon.

"Go, Aggron!" said Ash, sending the Pokemon out to fight once more. _Dragonite is weak to rock attacks, so as long as he doesn't use Extreme Speed again, we should be able to get at least one strong hit off..._

"Extreme Speed, Dragonite!"

_Shoot!_

Succumbing instantly to an attack that he normally would have weathered easily, the already-weary Aggron passed out, officially evening up the match. However, the attack cost Lance as well; Dragonite cried out in pain as Dusknoir's curse mark took its toll.

"The challenger's Aggron is unable to battle. Winner: Dragonite!" said the referee.

"Pikachu, pika PI!" insisted Pikachu.

"It would appear as if the Pokemon commands the trainer in this relationship!" the announcer chimed in.

Ash smiled and scratched the back of his head as the audience laughed. _When I'm champ, I'm gonna do everything I can to have that guy fired, _thought Ash as he, carefully this time, turned his mic off.

"I know, buddy. I _know_. But please just wait a bit longer, okay? You're my ace card...everyone knows how powerful you are. I want Lance to see that he still has my strongest fighter waiting on him, kay? I'll send you in when everyone else is down, I promise!" Pikachu wasn't amused, but deferred to his trainer's judgment.

"Chyaaa~!" replied Pikachu with a roll of his eyes as he hopped back down to his spot in the corner of the stand and pretended to go to sleep. Ash smiled down at his little yellow friend. He immediately refocused his attention on the task at hand, glancing up to see himself on the stadium mega-screens. The entire world waited on baited breath to see his next move. He flipped the switch on his microphone once more as he prepared his secret weapon for war.

"I choose you, Charizard!"

Charizard burst forth from his Poké Ball in midair, roaring loud enough to be heard from miles around and casting flames out a dozen yards ahead of himself. The audience cheered as Charizard took it upon himself to fly around the edges of the stands, roaring and showing off as best he could.

"And the challenger's next Pokemon is another dragon Pokemon! Okay, not technically a dragon, but come on, look at that thing! The question is, will Charizard be able to stand up against the might of a _true_ dragon?" asked the announcer.

Lance didn't announce his next Pokemon, opting instead to give it a command the second it was released.

"Extreme Speed!"

"Seismic Toss!"

All watching, save Ash, were stunned into silence when Charizard managed to grab Dragonite the split second before its attack made contact. Charizard immediately began flying skyward with Dragonite struggling to free itself from Charizard's grip.

"Thrash, Dragonite!" commanded its trainer, but it was at that moment Dusknoir's Curse chose to strike again. Lance could only watch helplessly as his Pokemon cried out in pain, unable to resist being dragged through the air in a tight, circular arc before being released. Dragonite hit the rocky ground twice as fast as it would have fallen.

"Dragonite is unable to battle, Charizard is the winner!" declared the referee. The sound produced by the 360,000 attendees had been loud before, but nothing before compared to the sheer volume produced as the referee called the round.

Ash unconsciously removed his hat and ran a hand through his jet-black hair. He was _winning._ He had been winning at the beginning of the match as well, but this time Lance only had two Pokemon remaining. Ash wasn't sure, but he thought he heard Lance curse from across the field. The champion again wasted no time, immediately releasing his next Pokemon.

"Outrage!" commanded Lance, with a hint of desperation in his voice. It was obvious that he hoped to overwhelm Charizard through Dragonite's unbridled destructive power. But Ash was ready.

"Outrage, Charizard!" commanded Ash in turn. He leaned forward against the railing...whatever happened from then on was out of his hands.

**ˆ˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜ˆ**

Lance was hunched over the railing, beads of sweat making their way steadily down his face and neck. He silently cursed himself for his own vanity; his second Dragonite was by far his most powerful Pokemon, but if Drago failed then the match was as good as over. All he had remaining was a golden Altaria that he'd caught only days before on an expedition, and it was easily the weakest Pokemon in Lance's party.

_He still has that monster rat, as well as the Espeon and this Charizard...damn it! thought Lance_. But no, it wouldn't do to panic at a time like this. Dragonite could handle them all, he'd taken down entire challengers by himself on more than one occasion.

Yet Charizard seemed to be matching Dragonite blow for blow. Both Pokemon were in a manic state of rage, circling one another in the air before clashing again with enough violence to make the audience collectively flinch. Lance could only watch in horror as Charizard appeared to be gaining the upper hand.

"Un-be-lie-va-ble! A Charizard on par with not just a Dragonite, but the _champ's_ Dragonite! I gotta say, I didn't have half a hope for Mr. Ketchum when he walked up to that podium half an hour ago, but I dare say we might be looking at the next champ, folks!" rang the announcer over the crashing blows of the two Pokemon.

Being a dragon-type move, Outrage was more potent coming from Dragonite. However, Charizard was an exceptionally agile flier, but slower than Dragonite, and rarely took a blow head-on. The two weaved in and out of the other's attacks, trying to gain the advantage. Unfortunately for Dragonite, Charizard's draconic-charged attacks hit him hard. Though, Charizard weaved slightly too close as he attempted to dodge another of Dragonite's beams, and the latter used his natural flight speed to gain a grip on his opponent's tail before twisting in the air and sending him speeding toward the rocky arena floor. Charizard impacted the ground hard enough to send a shockwave out to stir up the dust into a large cloud.

From across the stadium, Lance could hear his opponent cry out in concern for his Pokemon. Normally he would sympathize with his opponent's Pokemon being hurt, but at that moment all it sounded like to him was hope.

"Dragonite, keep the Outrage going, don't let the opponent gain a foothold!" Lance called to his Pokemon. Dragonite might or might not have heard him, he was already launching himself down at the Charizard hidden amongst the now-settling dust.

"Come on buddy, get up! Show 'em how tough you are, Charizard! Hurry, Dragoni-" Ash called, but he was cut off; Charizard burst forth from the dust storm in an explosion of flame and dragon rage, roaring savagely. He caught his opponent off-guard, managing to sink his fangs into Dragonite's neck. In the span of only a few seconds, Charizard maneuvered himself to directly above Dragonite and, with the flailing Dragon's neck still firmly gripped in his maw, charged up a blast of dragon fire and expelled the beast downward. Dragonite lay still, half-embedded in several feet of earth. The referee careened his body out as he peered through his binoculars from the ref stand and made his call.

"Dragonite is unable to battle, Charizard is the winner!"

The crowd went wild. Lance felt physically ill as he watched Ash jump up and down, throwing fists in the air and whooping loudly, yet silenced by the roar of the crowd.

_It's over...I've lost. Nine years of work for nothing,_ thought Lance as despair washed over him. What was he going to do? Everything that they had worked for was now in danger of being for nothing.

**ˆ˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜ˆ**

Ash was elated. Just one more to go and he was the _champion! _Charizard was clearly worn out after taking down both of Lance's Dragonites; his chest heaved in and out heavily, but Ash was pleasantly surprised to see that he could probably continue fighting if he had to. Still, it would be safer to withdraw him for now.

"You did great, Charizard!" Ash called down to his Pokemon, who had lighted upon a nearby boulder to rest. The field was wrecked; boulders had been dislodged and crags had formed from the misdirected blasts and impacts of the two Pokemon. Charizard sounded a weak victory cry as Ash pulled him back into his Poké Ball.

"Pika chu-pika pi pika pi CHU!" Pikachu insisted loudly from Ash's shoulder.

"Alright, alright! Your time to shine, buddy!" said Ash, extending his arm out over the field. Pikachu ran to the end of it and somersaulted out and onto the same rock that Charizard had rested upon.

"Err, Mr. Champion," said the voice of the announcer, "your next Pokemon?"

Lance, who had been standing silently with his face tilted downward, buried in one of his hands, slowly edged back into reality. After a moment's pause, he grabbed the only Poké Ball of the evening that he hadn't touched and tossed it out onto the field with none of the calm, cool energy that he'd possessed for most of the match.

"My oh my, a _golden_ Altaria! A single shiny-colored Pokemon wasn't enough for this champ, it seems. You'll have to catch a few of your own once you're champion, Mr. Ketchum!" said the announcer.

_Maybe I won't have him fired after all,_ thought Ash.

"Thunder bolt, Pikachu!"

"Protect!"

Altaria's body gained a shiny coat of glossy light, absorbing Pikachu's attack. With victory within his grasp, Ash continued his assault, forcing Lance to remain on the defensive, not allowing Altaria to get even a single attack off.

"Altaria, fly up high, out of its range!" commanded Lance, clearly attempting to stall the match for as long as possible.

"No way, don't let him get away, Pikachu! Quick Attack and latch on!" commanded Ash in response.

Before Lance could react, Pikachu had covered the distance between the two Pokemon. Altaria began squawking furiously, but stayed true to its master's commands and continued climbing into the sky.

"Are you stupid, Ash?!" Lance yelled over the intercom. "If you knock Altaria out at that height, your Pokemon will fall...!"

"Pikachu might not have a Poké Ball, but he knows Magnet Rise and other ways to keep from hitting the ground...he can survive a fall from any height! Pikachu, end it with a Thunder!" commanded Ash.

Pikachu obeyed, but Altaria absorbed the attack with yet another Protect, to Ash's annoyance. Pikachu's massive electric attacks always took a short moment to charge up, and unfortunately, Altaria was able to cast Protect again in that time. He would have to change his tactics if he wanted to end it anytime soon.

"Pikachu, wait until the moment its Protect goes down and paralyze it with Thunder Wave!" commanded Ash, since Thunder Wave would be instantaneous considering the distance between the two.

"Pikachu followed his master's orders and waited until the glow coming from Altaria's body dissipated, and then sent out a spark of concentrated electric energy from his red cheeks as Lance screamed a final command.

"REFLECT!"

Pikachu was too slow. The Thunder Wave bounced off of Altaria and rebounded upon its caster. Pikachu's tiny body went completely rigid, unable to utter a single sound.

"Pikachu!" Ash yelled, his eyes fixed on the stadium camera that showed the battle taking place in the sky. It was no use, Pikachu was frozen solid, only remaining on Altaria's back because of Altaria itself keeping it there.

"Surrender, Ash, or I drop it!" barked Lance in a shaky voice.

"Wh-what?! No way!" replied Ash, trying his best to think his way out of the situation. He didn't have much time to strategize.

"Drop it, Altaria," commanded Lance solemnly. Ash could only watch in horror as his oldest and most beloved Pokemon was tipped off the back of Altaria, falling slowly at first but gaining speed as he went along. The stadium was instantly drowned in a sea of booing from the audience as they condemned the champion for the underhanded move. But the crowd was quickly silenced as a monstrous lightning bolt launched itself from the Pokemon falling out of the sky. The attack hit an off-guard Altaria directly, sending a second Pokemon falling toward the stadium floor.

Ash leaped over the railing of his podium without a moment's hesitation, ending the match the moment his feet met the dirt.

"I GIVE UP! I FORFEIT!" Ash screamed as he scrambled to gain his footing, hoping in the back of his mind that the Pokemon League could do something to stop his best friend from plummeting to his death.

"MAGNET RISE, PIKACHU! USE MAGNET RISE!" Ash cried as he sprinted across the broken arena floor, but it was no use. Pikachu had used his brief moment of freedom from paralysis to launch his thunderbolt, and was immobile once again, spinning out of control. Pikachu neared the ground as Ash neared a large, irregular rock jutting from the ground that had been loosed during the chaos of Charizard's battle. His stomach sank as the thought occurred that he wouldn't make it in time.

Ash jumped to the tip of the boulder and pushed himself off and into the air, reaching out as far as his body would let him.

Caught.

An ear-splitting roar erupted from the crowd as Ash's fingers, then his hands, and finally his arms wrapped around the little yellow Pokemon. He twisted in the air to cradle Pikachu to his chest, falling with his back to the ground. The cheering didn't last long as Ash continued to fall. He fell into a small ravine and hit the broken rocks hard, feeling a sharp pain before tumbling violently down the rest  
of the way, and then all went black.


End file.
